Our hearts go out people suffering from the effects of Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton. And although we want to help, we need to be careful not to waste our money by being tricked by scammers. No one knows how long recovery will take. If you’re considering donating to help... Read more →
At last, government officials are doing something about the harm media is causing children. For years, I’ve written about violence in the media. Research shows children who are persistently exposed to violent images learn aggressive behaviors, become desensitized to violence, and develop an exaggerated fear of becoming victims. Now, social... Read more →
In its newsletter for October 2024, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation cautioned people about interacting with their financial institution on social media. My advice is not to do it. You don’t want strangers, or even friends, to know where you have an account. Interacting with your financial institution on social... Read more →
A call from a debt collector about a bill from a healthcare provider can be stressful. The debt collection might pile on top of a difficult health situation for you and your family. Medical bills can be confusing and unclear. Some people pay the amount shown in the debt collection... Read more →
A salesperson knocked on my door and told me I could get rooftop solar panels at little or no cost? He said government programs would cover most of the costs of solar installation. He said his company had installed them for one of my neighbors. Fortunately, since it sounded too... Read more →
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau sued Horizon Card Services and its CEO Robert Kane Friday for tricking consumers into signing up for its expensive membership credit card. Horizon’s credit card, which could come with almost $300 in annual fees on a card with a $500 credit limit, could only be... Read more →
Have you heard of “personalized nutrition?” It’s an approach to dietary advice that uses tests of a person’s genes, blood and other body fluids, and gastrointestinal tract, as well as questionnaires, to develop individualized nutritional recommendations. Personalized nutrition’s global value was estimated at $12 billion in 2022, and it’s projected... Read more →
Most consumers are confused about the new rules related to compensation for realtors in the home buying transaction and the changes are generating lots of headlines. The new rules offer great new opportunities for consumers to save money. How realtors are paid has always been confusion and, while valuable, home... Read more →
About a dozen times I’ve written about price gouging being one of the biggest drivers of inflation, along lamenting about how politicians weren’t talking about it. President Biden took up the topic recently, and Kamala Harris, vice president and the presumptive Democratic nominee for president, announced it Friday as part... Read more →
Monopoly power hurts consumers in so many ways every day. It’s good news that states and the federal government are bringing more antitrust actions. A federal judge in Washington, D.C., ruled Monday that Google unlawfully leverages its dominance in the online search and related text advertising markets through exclusionary contracts, harming consumers and advertisers. Read more →